Pencil-sharpener



C. CLEVELAND. PENCIL SHARPENER. APPLICATION man OCT-27,1916. RENEWED was 11. 1919.

Patented Jan. 6,1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET I- [I'll/611% 7, @Zemempf zevelazzaf C. CLEVELAND.

PENCIL SHARPENER. APPLICATION FILED 061 .27, I916. RENEWED JUNE H, 1919.

Patented J an. 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- CLEMENT CLEVELAND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 6, 1920.

Application filed October 27, 1916. Serial E0. 127,976. Renewed June 11, 1919. Serial No. 303,473.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CLE- ii'EN'r CLEVELAND, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pencilharpeners, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to that class of pencil sharpeners which usually have a substantially conical form and are provided with a longitudinally-disposed knife-edge and adjoining chip-space, and which being of small dimensions, are convenient for carrying in the pocket.

A principal object of my present improvement is to furnish a highly effective sharpener arranged for first reducing the wood, or lead-incasing portion of the pencil and for next sharpening the lead by a separate operation, thus effecting the sharpening of the pencil by a two-stage process. A further object is to furnish such an improved sharpener in which the several details shall be so organized that the entire sharpener may be manufactured at a relatively low cost while all the details are combined in one singlemember construction. Further objects and advantages will be pointed out and eX- plained in the course of the following de scription.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pencil sharpener, made in accordance with, and illustrating a preferred embodiment of, my present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of one side of pencil sharpener as seen in an oblique direction and from above in Fig. 1, and is arranged as a plan view with relation to several of the succeeding views. I

Fig, 3 is a longitudinal section taken in the vertical plane of line 3-3, of Fig. 2, and looking in the direction indicated in a conventional manner by the arrows at 8,3.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken in the plane of the line H, of the enlarged end elevation, Fig. 9.

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 .are fragmentary and enlarged cross-sectional views taken in the lines 5, 6, 7 and 8, respectively, of Fig. 2, for illustrating in a comparative manner certain details of the sharpener in a preferred embodiment of the invention, as hereinafter more fully explained.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged end elevation of the sharpenenas seen from the right-hand in Figs. 2 and 3, and is located below and in alinenient with Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive, to facilitate comparison therewith.

Figs. 10 and 11 are enlarged cross-sectional views of the sharpener with a-pencil therein, taken in line 1010, Fig. 3, for illustrating certain peculiar features of the mode of operation and of the means whereby to regulate the thickness of the chip taken by the wood-cutting portion of the knifeedge.

Fig. 12 represents in plan view and in approximate outline, a blank, preferably of steel in sheet form, suitable for use in manufacturing the sharpeners.

Fig. 13 is a view showing how the blanks may be cut from a ribbon of .sheet metal, with a minimum waste of metal and with all of the blanks so located that the knifeedge portion of each blank will be disposed longitudinally of the ribbon,

Fig. 14: is a diagrammatic View drawn in a projective relation to Fig. 12, for further illustrating features indicated in Figs. 1 to 3, and 5 to 9, as hereinafter explained.

Similar character designate like parts in all the views.

My present invention,as will now be evident from the drawings,comprises and relates to the improved two-stage pencil sharpener, to a special kind of blank there for, and to a method of manufacture whereby a high and uniform quality may be obtained with an extremely low cost. The blanks are preferably made of unhardened steel which is highly resilient while adapted to be wrought into shape by bending and swaging, and not requiring to be stiffened throughout by any tempering or hardening subsequently to being so shaped. The steel to be used, is most readily prepared of suitable character when in the so called ribbon form, the blanks being cut therefrom and afterward shaped and finished by suitable appliances, and in accordance with the explanations hereinafter more fully set forth. The metal used, should be well roll hardened and only thick enough to provide sufficient stability, but in the drawings, to facilitate proper illustration, the thickness of metal is in general, somewhat exaggerated. In practice, however, a thickness proper for any given case, in View Of the finished cutting edge.

kind of steel to be used and the size of the sharpener to be made, may be readily ascertained by trial, in accordance with wellknown methods.

For convenience of description, the main or body-portion of the sharpener may be said to consist of a tubular cone, this being designated in a general way by C, and consisting of that portion of the blank B which is at the right-hand of the line r, in Fig. 12. Thus the complete sharpener may be said to comprise the tubular cone, with such extension, qualifications and supplemental features as are hereinafter set forth or defined.

The preferred manner of cutting out,by the use of suitable dies, not shown, the blanks, as B, Fig. 12, from sheet-metal in the form of a strip or ribbon, as S, is represented in Fig. 13, which also illustrates an arrangement of the blank-outlines in accordance with the so called interlocking method. In this view, Fig. 13, one series of theblank-positions is indicated by t and t, which here represent spaces from which blanks have been cut out. The reverselypositioned dot and dash blank outlines shown at t and t represent the relative positions a second series of similar blanks to be cut out. Thus the area, as B, within said line t may be considered as being a blank which is not yet separated from the surrounding metal of the sheet, but which is located in the sheet intermediate of the reversely-located similar outlines of the two successive blank-spaces t and 25 In practice it is desirable to so locate and cut out the blanks indicated in Fig. 13, that each blank will have the knife-edge portion or zone thereof, as is, (Fig. 12), located longitudinally of the strip or sheet,as at is, Fig. 13,and therefore parallel to the so-called fiber formation of the metal of the ribbon, s. This peculiar formation of the metal is understood, of course, to be due to the action of the rolling-mill by which such strips or ribbons are usually finished, and it is in accordance with recognized principles that the relationships here set forth should aid in securing a high quality of the Therefore, one of the objects of my invention is to furnish a one-piece pencil sharpener so constructed that in the manufacture thereof, full advan tage may be taken of the foregoing features and arrangements.

The operation of forming the sheet-metal blank, B, shown in plan view in Fig. 12, into the completed sharpener, shown in Fig. 1, is preferably begun by first beveling the edge is Fig. 12), of the fiat-blank B, as indicated at a, Fig. 14, and then hardening an extremely small portion of the sheet metal along said edge, about as indicated,

for instance, by the small area of dark shading at e in Figs. 10 and 141. This hardening of said. extreme edge, or knifeedge, may be accomplished by methods now well understood in the metal working art and which therefore need not be particularly described herein. edges a a of the blank B in Fig. 12, correspond with the lines a and n respectively, in Figs. 2 and 3, when said blank has been rolled up into the conical form represented by the tubular cone C, in Figs. 1 to 4.

The projecting portion D of the blank B, (represented at the left hand in Figs. 12 and 14), is designated as the socket-forming portion of the'blank, and in making the sharpeners, one of the preliminary opera tions will be to form this portion, D, into a pencil-point-receiving socket, which is des ignated in a general way by D in Fig. 1, and is also further illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, and in Figs. '7 to 9 inclusive. Inasmuch as the main portion of the blank B need'not be hardened or specially tempered by heat ing and quenching, said member B after having the edge, e, and the point-receiving socket D formed thereon, as above set forth, may then be rolled up and shaped from the flat form or position which is shown by solid lines in Fig. 1 1, into the curved form or position as shown by dotted lines at C in Fig. 14, thereby forming the same arrangen'ient of parts which is shown at the larger end of the sharpener, as more clearly indicated by. the lines of the drawing in Figs. 1 and 9. Of, course, the blank B should be so formed and afterward shaped up, as to provide a chip space, as f, adjoining the wood-cutting portion of the edge e, and somewhat longer than the zone a Fig. 3.

In comparing the views Figs. 12 and 1 1 with each other and with the other figures, it should be noted that Fig. 14: is only an approximate projection of Fig. 12, and that the righthand part of Fig. 14 corresponds to the same portion of the blank B as seen in the direction of arrow 1, while the lefthand part of Fig. 14: nearly corresponds to the same portion of the blank B as seen in the direction of the arrow T The blank B, considered as a whole, may be said to com prise two cone-forming portions, located, respectively, on either side of a line about in the position of the line a", Fig. 12; the larger right-hand portion being for the large cone C, while the left-hand portion, D, is for the making of the small cone D.

The blank B is shown in Fig. 12 provided at (Z with a shouldered portion or stop de vice, which, on the completion of the sharpener, comes into the working position at cl, in Figs. 1, 2, 6 and 7, and then bears against the edge e of the opposite side-portion, 7c, of the said sheet metal member B. In this way a stop is formed (see Figs. 1 and 6) whereby to prevent the sharpener from clos- It will be noted that the curved 'turning thereof within the sharpener.

ing together too far, and thus reduce the size of the cone C, below its proper diameter. By means of this stop-device, the sheet metal cone may and should be given in the manufacture thereof a considerable tendency to close together by its own tension or resiliency into a diameter or size less than such proper size.

While serving for the purpose above noted, said stop (Z also permits of a relatively free expansion of the tubular and conical body portion of the completed sharpener when the pencil, as F, Figs. 3, 10 and 11, shall be crowded forwardly during the Thus I provide for a peculiar operation of the sharpener whereby to regulate the thickness of the kerf or chip which the knife edge 6 may remove from the wood portion 5 of the pencil during the operation of un-wooding the end of the pencil-lead. This important feature is especially illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11, where that portion of the sharpener wall lying within the arm 3 is shown formed to normally provide a space at 8", and thereby provide for av better action of the knife edge 6 than would be otherwise normally obtained. Thus the stop (Z may be said to be so arranged as to act as a means to resist and limit the resilient action of the tubular cone, as C, in one direction, and in a closure-limiting direction, while the metal of the tubular cone may be said to be stressed against said stop means.

When the pencil body or wood portion 5, F 0, is rotated clockwise, as shown by the arrow 2 the knife edge 6 will take a vary slight if any out or chip. In Fig. 11, however, the pencil body, (as E, Fig. 3) is supposed to be crowded forward, (toward the left hand in 3), to the extent of springing open or enlarging the conical body portion of ne sharpener and thus permitting the knife edge e to take a much heavier chip, as roughly indicated at 5. Thus, through the resiliency of the sharpener wall, and the initial tension or stress thereof as limited by the stop (Z, the character of the cutting operation may be readily modulated or regulated during the sharpening of the wood portion, 5 of the pencil; and when he pencil is withdrawn, said action of the tensioned metal and wall, operates to contract the cone G from the enlarged diameter in Fig. 11, to the normal diameter in a manner diagraimnatically indicated by comparison with Fig. 10, as will be seen by the aid of the parallel lines 1"", 1 and the distance r One feature of my present improvements relates to certain details of construction of the point socket D and to the combination thereof with the large cone C at the larger end of this cone, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 8 and 9. (in referring to Fig. 9, it will be noted that the circle 5 is located in such a manner that the cutting edge e, the bearing point 5 and the bearing point 5 are substantially in a triangular arrangement. Also the curvature of the inner surface of the point socket or member D at andadjacent to the point 5 is shown as a curvature considerably larger (less sharply curved) than that of the circle 5; and this arrangement also obtains with reference to the bearing surface at and adjacent to the point 5 with relation to the same circle which represents a section of the pencil lead, as 5, Fig. 3, at the outer end of the point socket. Thus the two said inner curved faces at 5 5 are relatively angularly disposed, and are arranged to co operate to reduce the kerf or depth of out upon the lead on an inward flexure of the socket-carrying portion of the tube-wall of cone C, on an excess of pressure being applied longitudinally of the pencil. By means of this peculiar organization of the said surfaces and cutting edge, a preferable and effective mode of action is obtained of thecutting edge on the material of the pencil point, when the pencil E is held in the some what inclined position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 and the lead 5 thereof has been sharpened as there indicated.

By con'iparing Figs. 2, 7, 8 and 9, it will be evident that owing to the inclined position of the pencil-lead 5 (Fig. 2) relatively to the straight-line edge e,as seen in the plan view,there will result a peculiar relationship of said edge to the pencil-lead whereby the form of the sharpened portion of the lead will vary somewhat from the usual conical form of the sharpened (or reduced) portion of the pencil wood 5. In practice, this modified conical form of said pencil point, is slightly concave in an axial plane, and thus gives the point a relatively better endurance than when made in. the form of an exact cone.

In said Fig. 9, in connection with Figs. 1, 7 and 8, a further feature of the device is illustrated and is also diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 14. It will be noted that the edge-portion at 5 of the member 1) bears against the inner surface of the cone C at a point a slight distance away from the cutting-edge c. This arrangement of said parts forms a stop surface at said point 5 so arranged that in the tensioned and complete structure, the memberl) operates as a stop device for thereby holding the cutting-edge e and the member I) in proper operative relative position. Thus the said bearing point at 5 coacts with the stop device 0Z for normally holding the described working portions of the device in correct positions. Also said bearing point at 5 when the woodcutting portion of the large cone C is expanded as already described in connection with 11, operates by its position and engagement. to prevent. any undue enlargement of the larger end-portion of said cone 0. The particular features and construction here described have a further utility in that when the pencil lead is crowded into the cone D, (Fig. 2) any undue pressure thereof may be relieved by a sliding apart of the two edges of the cone Cfor thereby moving the edge 6 toward the right hand in Fig. 9, and doing this without any outward movement of the part I) radial of the cone C. WVhile the movements here referred to are in practice quite, small, they are sometimes relatively large as compared with the dimensions of the small cone or socket D, and hence become important in the operation of the completed sharpener. Thus the stop (Z and the face 5 of the small cone D, cooperate for preventing adislocation of the said small cone, or point-socket, relatively to the knife-edge a, during the sharpening of the pencil point, while the stop 5 prevents an outward movement of said support relatively to the knife-edge e.

A further feature of the sharpener is specially indicated in and by Fig. 3, where the total length between the transversely-located lines 72 n is divided by lines 92* into three distances or zones, 2 2*, 2 The zone 2 represents that portion of the length of the tubular cone 0, in which the edge e is utilized for cutting the wood, 5*, of the pencil E. The zone a similarly represents that portion of the length of said edge e which is utilized for the point-sharpening operation upon the lead, 5, of the pencil.

Between the small-end zone 2 and the largeend zone 5', lies an intermediate zone 2* within which and at some point in the length thereof, is located the aforesaid stop (Z. The zone 2 is shown of such an extended length that the cone C in being extended from the line a to the line a will have (in the plane of line n this plane being transverse to the axis of the cone C), a wide circumferential space, or annular zone, as 2, (Figs. 3, 9), located between the inner coneline 3 and the pencil E, and large enough to contain the aforesaid device or member I). By this means, also, the surface at 8 of the member D serves as a guide at one side of the pencil E, and for coacting therewith two other guides, 3 3 are shown formed by suitably shaping portions of the wall of the cone C; thus I form and provide a multi-point,in this instance a three-point-penoil-guiding means which, as indicated in Fig. 9, has the three points or guides thereof located in a triangular arrangement, at 3 3 3 respectively.

In some instance the pencil-guiding devices'3 3 may be omitted; also, when provided, they may be separate pieces soldered or otherwise suitably fixed to or within the cone C. However, the preferred construction thereof herein illustrated has the advantage of low cost and a smooth and rounded inner surface, while also providing spaces or indentations,as indicated at 3 (Figs. 1, 4:) and 3 (Fig. 9),which furnish an excellent means for holding the sharpener from turning in ones fingers while it is be ing used. The said guide devices when of the f0 m shown at 3 3 can be readily made in the blank 13 by suitable forming-dies, and this. operation can be performed either before or after said blank is rolled up into the tubular cone. While the guides 3 3 are herein shown located wholly within the zone .efl'it will be obvious that they may, if desired, be located nearer to, or may be extended farther toward the end-line 07?, Fig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A pencil sharpener for two-stage op eration and comprising an eXpansibly resilient tubular cone having a knife-edge located longitudinally on one side thereof, said knife-edge being arranged near the smaller end of the cone for sharpening the wood of a pencil, and said cone having at the larger end thereof a support cooperative with the knife-edge and arranged therewith for sharpening the unwooded point of a pencil lead.

2. A pencil sharpener for two-stage operation and comprising a tubular and eXpan sibly resilient sheet metal cone having a knife-edge located longitudinally on one side thereof and formed of one edge of such metal, said knife-edge being arranged near the smaller end of the cone for sharpening the wood of a pencil, and a lead-supporting socket located within the larger end of said cone and in position for coacting with the part of said knife-edge which is adjacent to thelarger end of said tubular cone.

3. A pencil sharpener for two-stage operation and comprising a tubular cone having an opening at the small end thereof for the lead of a pencil and having a knife edge extending the entire length of the sharpener, and a point-socket appurtenant to said cone and in position within the larger end of said cone and arranged for supporting the end of a pencil lead to be sharpened by the knife-edge at the larger end of the tubular cone.

4. A pencil sharpener for two-stage operation and comprising tubular cone having an opening at the small end thereof for the lead of a pencil and having a knife edge eX- tending the entire len th of the sharpener and having a point-socket appurtenant to and located within said cone and in position for supporting the end of a pencil lead to be sharpened by the knife-edge at the larger end of the tubular cone.

5. A'pencil sharpener comprising a tubular cone of resilient-metal and having an opening at the small end thereof for the lead of a pencil and having a knife edge extending the entire length of the sharpener, and a point-socket appurtenant to and located within the larger end of said cone and in position for supporting the end of a pencil lead to be sharpened by the knife-edge at the larger end of the tubular cone, and a closure-limiting stop for resisting the resilient action of the tubular cone in one direction.

6. A pencil sharpener comprising a resilient tubular cone formed of thin metal and having longitudinally on one side thereof a chip space and a knife-edge, and having stop means arranged for resisting the resilient action of tubular cone in a closurelimiting direction, in combination with a pencil-lead-supporting device in position at and within the larger end of the tubular (one for coacting with the knife-edge.

7. A pencil sharpener comprising a tubular and eXpansibly resilient cone formed of thin metal and having longitudinally on one side thereof a chip space and a knifeedge, and having a stop arranged for resisting the resilient action of tubular cone in a closure-limiting direction, in combination with a pencil-lead-supporting device in position within and at the larger end of the tubular cone and in position for coacting with the knife-edge and also with said stop.

8. A pencil sharpener comprising a tubular and expansibly resilient cone and having an opening at the small end thereof for the uncut lead of a pencil and having a knife edge extending the entire length. of the sharpener, and having said cone e-X pansible by the pressure of the pencil-wood while this is being cut therein, for thereby regulating the thickness of the chip, the sharpener also comprising a closure-limiting means arranged for limiting the contraction of the resilient cone and a point-socket in position within the larger end of said cone for holding the un-wooded point of a pencillead in operative relation to the knife-edge at the larger end of the tubular cone.

9. A pencil sharpener for two-stage operation and comprising a tubular and expansively resilient cone having a knife-edge loca ted longitudinally on one side thereof, said knife-edge being arranged near the smaller end of the cone for sharpening the wood of a pencil, said cone having within and at the larger end thereof a transversely and inwardly extending support for the pencil, and guiding means for the pencil located within and at the larger end of said cone for engaging the pencil at three respective points, said support being one member of said guiding means and being a lead sharp ener.

10. A pencil sharpener for two-stage operation and comprising a tubular and expansively resilient cone having a knifeedge located longitudinally on one side thereof,

said knife-edge being arranged near the smaller end of the cone for sharpening the wood of a pencil, and said cone having within and at the larger end thereof a transversely and inwardly extending support for the pencil, and guiding means for the pencil located within and at the larger end of said cone for engaging the pencil at three respective points, said support being one member of said guiding means and being a lead sharpener, and said guiding means being disposed in triangular arrangement.

'11. A pencil sharpener for two-stage operation and comprising a tubular cone having a knife-edge located longitudinally on one side thereof, said knife-edge being arranged near the smaller end of the cone for sharpening the wood of a pencil, and a lead-supporting socket located within the larger end of said cone and in position for coacting with said knife-edge, and also for coacting with pencil guides located at other positions with-' in and circumferentially said tubular cone.

12. A pencil sharpener comprising a resilient tubular cone having an opening at the small end thereof for the lead of a pencil, and having said cone expansible by the pressure of the pencil-wood while this is being cut therein, for thereby regulating the thickness of the chip, a closure-limiting stop arranged for limiting the contraction of the resilient cone to a. size for taking a minimum chip, and a point-socket appurtenant to the wall of said cone and in a position within the larger end of said cone for supporting the end of a pencil-lead tobe sharpened by that portion of the knife-edge which is at the larger end of the tubular cone.

13. A pencil sharpener comprising a tubular and expansibly resilient cone having an opening at the small end thereof for the lead of a pencil, and having said cone expansible by the pressure of the pencil-wood while this is being out therein, for thereby regulating the thickness of the chip, a closure-limiting stop arranged for limiting the contrac tion of the resilient cone to a size for taking a minimum chip, ahd a point-socket appurtenant to and located within said cone and in position for supporting the end of a pencil-lead to be sharpened by the knife edge at the larger end of the tubular cone.

14. A pencil sharpener for two-stage operation and comprising a tubular cone having a tube-wall of thin resilient metal, and having a knife-edge located longitudinally on one side thereof, said cone and knife-edge being arranged near the smaller end of the cone for sharpening the wood of a pencil, and said cone having at the larger end thereof a support in position for coacting with the knife-edge and arranged therewith for sharpening the unwooded point of a pencil lead, and two stops arran ed one for resisting the closure of the tu e-wall,

and the other for preventing an outward movement of said support relatively to the knife-edge.

15. A pencil sharpener for two-stage operation and comprising a tubular cone having a tube-Wall of thin resilient metal and having a knife-edge located longitudinally 011 one side thereof, said cone and knife-edge being arranged near the smaller end of the cone for sharpening the Wood of a pencil, and a lead-supporting socket located Within the larger end of said cone and in position for coacting with a knife-edge which is adj acent to the larger end of said tubular cone, said socket being carried on that edge of the tube-Wall which is opposite to the knifeedge, and having inner bearing-faces located for guiding the lead While being sharpened,

and also arranged for reducing the kerf on an inward flexure of the socket-carrying portion of said Wall by an excess of pressure applied longitudinally of the pencil.

CLEMENT CLEVELAND. Witnesses:

FRANCIS H. RIoHARDs, HAROLD D. PENNEY. 

